American mDL uptake suggests digital ID mass adoption caught in the slow lane

Mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) are coming online as the first wave of government-issued digital IDs in the United States. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) says Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts and Nebraska are the only states that have not begun working on an mDL, Alaska Business reports. But the acceptance of those credentials by motorists and businesses alike has been unimpressive in states like New York, where each milestone is celebrated. In Alaska, the initial uptake is marginal at best.

New York is approaching the quarter million enrollment milestone for its mDL as it passes the first anniversary of the digital ID’s launch.

Nearly 246,000 people had enrolled for their New York Mobile ID (MiD) as of Monday, according to an announcement from the state government. It reached 100,000 signups within its first two months. It reached 200,000 ID issued at the beginning of March.

MiD came out in June, 2024 in an app developed by Idemia Public Security. It can be used for Transportation Security Authority (TSA) ID checks at airports and has also been approved for alcohol purchases at bars and restaurants by the state Liquor Authority. Businesses can verify MiDs with free or paid verifier apps available for smartphones and tablets.

“We are just at the start of this exciting advancement in digital identity security, and New York is proud to be one of the states leading the way,” says Governor Kathy Hochul. “As more and more New Yorkers embrace the MiD and more states across the country launch similar digital options, there will be many more ways to use your MiD.”

New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder noted the benefit of convenient, contactless and secure identity and age verification for businesses in the state.

Adoption without relying parties glacial

Only 650 people downloaded the Alaska mDL app in its first month, according to Alaska Business. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that there were just under 530,000 licensed drivers in Alaska as of 2019.

Work on the request for proposals for Alaska’s mDL began in January of 2023, and by mid-way through the year Thales had been selected as the technology supplier. The mDL was launched in March, and it is one of the first in AAMVA’s Digital Trust Service.

Signing up for the Alaska mDL takes only five minutes, officials say, but the low adoption numbers can be easily explained by the lack of places to use it. An official with the state DMV tells Alaska Business that her agency has communicated with state agencies, the alcohol regulator and the TSA about accepting Alaska’s digital IDs.

DMV Division Operations Manager Lauren Whiteside says declined to confirm if any government agencies are accepting Alaska’s mDL, and noted that if and when national retail chains decide to accept digital IDs, the policies will be nationwide.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety, which includes State Troopers and Wildlife Troopers, accepts Alaska mDLs, but Anchorage Police Department is still working with the DMV towards accepting it. The TSA is expected to begin accepting them later this year.

Article Topics

Alaska  |  Alaska mID  |  digital ID  |  Idemia Public Security  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  New York  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security  |  United States